Love on Fire
by PoeticProphet
Summary: A Katniss/Clove or Cloveniss fanfic. A story focusing on the development between Clove and Katniss in the 74th Hunger Games as they realize their feelings for each other are not what they expected.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Clove glowered her eyes at the score underneath the photo of the girl with the trademark braid and tanned skin as the results were revealed on the enormous T.V. screen.

_An eleven! _She thought, astounded and repulsed at the same time. Katniss Everdeen had beaten her score by a point_. _

_Unbelievable! _Clove thought angrily as she kicked at the mahogany coffee table in front of her.

Cato flinched slightly from Clove's sudden angry outburst. "Hey!" he called out to her as Clove jumped off the couch and stormed off to her room. The rest of the careers only looked at Clove storming off with confused looks.

Cato shook his head at Clove's irrational behavior. He had to admit, he was a bit pissed off too because of the fact that a poor District 12 female had beaten his score, but he knew what would count in the end were the results in the arena.

Clove sat at the edge of her bed and sharpened one of her throwing knives with skill and precision. Her dark and sharp features shone clearly on the knife's clean blade. She smiled at her own reflection and imagined all the ways she would show the judges that she clearly deserved a perfect score of twelve by killing Katniss in the arena.

Clove giggled, delighted at the thought of having Katniss under her, writhing and begging her to end her life quickly. Oh, how she planned on torturing her! Clove fell back onto the large bed and threw the sharpened knife up at the ceiling above her where it stuck firmly.

Clove walked with Cato and Glimmer to the training room to get some practice in before the start of The Hunger Games. They joked amongst themselves on methods of killing and which one would be the most painful for their victims. Clove loved talk of brutality and maiming, after all, she was brought up to be a cold, merciless, killing machine - any other emotions were taught to her to be useless.

The three entered the training area to find that they had company. Peeta and Katniss occupied the usually empty survival section, with Peeta instructing Katniss how to paint herself to match the hue of tree bark.

Clove's eyes glinted with fury at the sight of Katniss. Something about the girl stirred a storm of frightening emotions in Clove - jealousy, spite, and fear. Fear that the girl may actually have a chance of beating her with her remarkable skill.

_No, not fear_, Clove tried to convince herself as she walked into the room with Cato and Glimmer.

"Well, well, look at Peeta Mellark painting his nails like a little girl," Cato taunted as Peeta's face became flushed with embarrassment.

Glimmer laughed obnoxiously at Cato's joke as Clove couldn't help but smirk at the look of embarrassment and shame clearly plastered on Peeta's face.

Katniss furrowed her brows and frowned angrily at the Careers staring arrogantly at the two of them.

"Oh, did we upset your little lover boy?" Glimmer teased, egging on Katniss' rapidly rising temper.

Katniss balled up her fists and looked as if she was ready to pummel Glimmer when Peeta placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from doing so. "Don't bother," Peeta whispered. "They're not worth it."

Katniss felt her body relax from Peeta's calming words and turned her back on the Careers before giving them one last spiteful look.

Cato and Glimmer laughed uproariously and called them pathetic before they got sick of bullying them and proceeded to walk off to the sparring section of the training room.

Clove stayed behind and continued to stare at the girl whom she planned to kill and relish every moment of it.

Katniss could feel someone stare at her back so she turned around to see Clove smirking evilly at her specifically.

Clove stared deep into Katniss' eyes and imagined looking into them before she took her life - something beautifully dark about the fantasy made Clove shiver with anticipation.

"Just so you know 'girl on fire' I'll be gunning for you first once we enter the arena," Clove said confidently as she took out a throwing knife to throw at a dummy on the other end of the large room. Without even one single glance at the dummy, Clove had struck it perfectly on its head.

Katniss stared at the dummy, admittedly impressed with Clove's skill with blades, but tried her best not to show it. "See you in there then," Katniss retorted as Clove gave her a long, hard look and walked away to join Cato and Glimmer.

"Hey, what took you?" Cato asked Clove when she finally joined up with them.

Clove had a faint smirk on her face as she took out a couple of throwing knives and skillfully placed them in between her fingers. "I was telling fire girl over there that I'll enjoy carving up that face of hers."

Cato chuckled at Clove's sadistic nature and Glimmer giggled alongside him as they watched Clove throw every single knife with deadly aim.

"She never misses," Cato said and laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Clove squirmed uncomfortably in her frilly orange dress as she waited impatiently in line. Every inch of her skin felt itchy from the scratchy material and every moment that passed, made her become increasingly agitated.

_Let's just get this over with_, her mind lamented at the thought of being interviewed in front of the Capitol and forced to put on a plastic smile.

_Sarcastic and sweet, sarcastic and sweet_, she repeated over and over in her head the advice given to her mentor for her to portray during the interview.

Clove took the process seriously because after all, the interview could be the defining factor of her ending up alive or dead in the arena.

Cato stood behind her in the line where the tributes waited anxiously for their turn. He was wearing a handsome blue suit that brought out the intensity of his grey-blue eyes. "You nervous?" he whispered behind her ear.

Clove felt his hot breath tickle her ear and felt somewhat irked by his obvious attraction to her. "No," she answered confidently.

Cato was taken aback by the sureness in Clove's voice and didn't say another word. He stood behind her and stared at the little strands of loose chocolate-brown hair falling from her extravagantly braided bun. He felt the urge to reach out and fix it, but he resorted to only gazing at her milky-smooth neck and fell into a daydream.

A T.V. was placed on the wall in front of them so they could watch their competitors fake a smile and act as if they weren't about to be thrown into an area to kill each other and possibly be killed.

Next up was Katniss Everdeen, and Clove felt her body tense up from the name. Her brilliantly dark eyes immediately locked onto the screen and saw the girl wearing a fire themed dress. _They are really playing up the whole fire thing with her_, Clove thought.

Every one of the tributes, except for Clove, oohed and ahhed at the sight of Katniss' dress glowing radiantly like a fiery blaze as she was asked to spin around by the interviewer, Caesar Flickerman.

Clove scowled at the sight and clenched her fists as the audience ate up Katniss's whole interview as she talked warmly of her sister Prim.

Cato noticed Clove tensing up and tapped her slightly on the shoulder. "What's the matter? Girl on fire getting on your nerves?"

"You know me too well," Clove replied and watched Katniss walk off the stage confidently at the end of the interview.

Peeta Mellark was next and everybody could see the nervousness that he was trying so hard to hide as he walked up to Caesar.

He soon regained his composure and did a pretty decent job, eliciting uproarious laughter from the audience.

"What a dunce," Clove heard Cato mumble under his breath at Peeta's amusing remarks.

Clove paid little to no attention to Peeta's interview - her thoughts were still on Katniss and how she couldn't stand waiting for the opportunity to maim that pretty face of hers.

One of Caesar's questions about Peeta's secret crush caused her to snap out of her dark daydream and her attention was once again riveted onto the screen.

"Because she came here with me," Peeta answered Caesar's question sadly, as the audience clamored from the confession. Everyone knew he was obviously referring to Katniss as his object of affection.

Clove felt her heart tinge unfamiliarly with pain as she registered the scene before her. _Could it all be a ruse? Does Peeta really love Katniss? _Clove's head was soon filled with unanswered questions, but she shook her head of any more that would develop.

_Why should I care? _She berated herself for a temporarily loss of control over her emotions.

Cato watched Peeta's face show a confliction that he couldn't help sympathizing with. He looked down at Clove staring angrily at the screen and couldn't help but feel a slight affection for the twisted girl that he had come here with.

After the interview, Clove laid in her bed and rethought everything she had said and done during her turn. She felt as if she did well with her sarcastic wit and dry humor that she fed to the audience.

They laughed and clapped for her as she left the stage and Cato did just as well. She was sure she had the Capitol eating out of the palm at her hand at this point. Nothing was going to stop her from winning the games now.

The Careers are notorious for their victory in the games _and_ their brutality. Clove planned on using every ounce of her strength to inflict pain on fire girl as soon as the opportunity arises.

"Sorry Peeta," Clove said sarcastically, "I guess I'll be the one to take lover girl away from you." She smirked to herself as shivers of delight ran through her body.

Clove smirked at the sun rising slowly but surely outside of her window. The games are to start today, and Clove had never felt more excited in her life than she did now.

She leapt out of the bed full of energy and fight and stretched enthusiastically at the dawn of a new day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The hum of the machine lifting the platform up beneath her surged a small series of vibrations throughout her lithe body.

Clove closed her eyes in meditation and soaked up the feeling of the utter thrill overtaking all of her senses.

_This is it_, she thought anxiously to herself. _Lover girl is mine_.

The platform rose higher and higher at a painstakingly slow pace and Clove scowled impatiently.

As she reached closer to the top, a bright light shone down upon her - blinding her temporarily as her eyes adjusted to the intensity of the artificial sun of the arena.

As soon as she could see clearly, she realized the platform had come to an abrupt stop. Her eyes whipped to her left and to her right as she saw the frightened faces of the other tributes and the confident expressions on her fellow Career tributes.

Katniss was standing to her left at the very end - her eyes were only looking at one thing, the bag of arrows with the bow beside them.

Clove knew Katniss was exceptionally skilled at the weapon and hoped she wouldn't be able to get a hold of it - she'd make sure of it.

The energy in the arena was heavy with anticipation as an eerie calm spread amongst the young twenty-four tributes standing on their platforms waiting for the countdown to reach zero.

Clove twiddled her fingers swiftly - warming them up to increase her chances of taking out most of the pathetic competitors in front of her.

As the seconds passed, her heart beat steadily as she cast a few glances at Katniss looking at Peeta.

He was shaking her head at her, signaling for her to run away instead of heading towards the cornucopia.

Clove scoffed at lover boy's attempts at trying to protect her still, despite the two of them knowing that only one would have to come out in the end.

Cato was standing upright with an air of utmost confidence as he readied himself in a running position.

He had no plans on running away. He was definitely going head first for the cornucopia for the large sword gleaming teasingly under the bright sunlight.

He knew once he got a hold of the deadly weapon, his chances of victory would almost indefinitely be sealed.

A large number five flashed before them and Clove's head thrummed with excitement as her heart beat loudly against her chest.

Two… and then finally one.

A loud signal boomed throughout the arena and Clove felt her body become alit with a fiery determination.

Before she realized it, her legs had jet out on their own at amazing speed as she raced amongst the rest of the tributes to the cornucopia while others like Peeta ran away into the confines of the forest.

She had thought she had heard Cato laughing as he raced ahead of the group with the advantage of his long legs giving him incredible speed.

Clove's eyes zoomed onto the throwing knives, and she immediately nabbed them fiercely - feeling a sense of incredible power as soon as she held them in her fingers.

Her eyes scanned her surroundings quickly and sufficiently just like she was trained to do all her life.

She spotted Katniss fighting over a backpack with the male District 9 tribute. A small smile spread across her lips as she threw a knife at the boy's back killing him instantly, and making him the first to die.

Katniss' eyes opened wide with fear as she saw the boy die in front of her.

Clove locked eyes with the girl for a quick second as she smirked evilly at her as if to say, "you're next."

Cato was now laughing maniacally as Clove saw him amputate the legs of the male District 6 with ease and dark glee. He soon took out the District 10 female and the District 4 male with the same amount of cruelty and brutality.

Clove knew she didn't have much time before she would lose sight of fire girl and searched for her amongst the chaos while killing the male and female District 7 tributes in the process.

Clove saw Katniss running away from the bloodbath surrounding the cornucopia and felt her heart beat nervously knowing she only had one chance to kill her now.

Katniss fell to the ground as soon as she realized Clove was pursuing her with a hungry look in her dark eyes.

Clove saw her chance and skillfully prepared a knife in between her fingers and swiftly threw it, aiming for Katniss' head.

Katniss instinctively raised the bag in between her hands to block the knife and was amazed that it had worked.

Clove growled in frustration at the disappointing sight of the knife sticking out of the backpack instead of Katniss' head. "Damn!" she cursed aloud as Katniss quickly got up to escape Clove's bloodlust.

Clove refused to let Katniss get away from her so easily, and pursued her prey relentlessly as she yelled out, "I'm coming for you fire girl! Where's lover boy now?"

Katniss turned her head back to see Clove sprinting towards her with a determined smirk on her smug face.

She knew she was as good as dead as long as Clove had her throwing knives. Being on flat ground in front of Clove made her an easy target so she leapt as high as she could to latch onto the first tall tree she spotted and started climbing as quickly as her legs could muster.

Clove realized what Katniss was doing and threw another knife at the girl, but missed only by an inch as Katniss quickly maneuvered herself onto another branch.

Clove became infuriated at her failed attempts and tried in vain to climb up the tree - the branches broke under her feet as she fell from a great height to the ground, falling on her back, and knocking the wind out of her.

Katniss climbed as high as she could to make sure Clove wouldn't be able to take a good aim at her with her throwing knives.

The branches and the leaves blocked most of her body, making it difficult to get a clear view for any kind of attempt Clove may make.

Clove lifted her head off the ground and groaned at the pain searing on her right shoulder as she tried to get up. _Shit_, Clove thought. _I'm screwed if my arm is injured_.

She tried to lift her right arm, but her shoulder blade screamed in sheer agony with any slight movement she made.

She yelled out in pain and frustration as she felt the intensity of the injury burn through her entire body - alighting her nerves on fire.

Katniss continued to stare down at Clove struggling to lift herself off the ground and realized that she was seriously injured as a pained expression crossed her usually smug face.

Clove raised her eyes up at Katniss sitting pretty on one of the tree branches above her staring back at her anxiously.

Clove realized she was a sitting duck and felt all hope of winning the games begin to fade with each failed attempt of raising herself of the ground.

"You happy fire girl?" she shouted loud enough for Katniss to hear after falling down for the third time.

I may die here," she confessed to herself more than to Katniss. Clove panted tiredly and gazed at the sky wondering if her district was disappointed with how fast she had become incapacitated - especially by some lowly girl from District 12. Even Clove couldn't help but scoff at her own pitiful self.

Katniss continued to contemplate and was conflicted on whether or not to go back down to finish the girl that had already tried to kill her more than once.

She was afraid that as soon as she stepped down from the safe height of the tree, Clove would find a way to kill her instead.

Clove snapped out of her thoughts when she suddenly heard the rustling of the branches as Katniss nimbly made her way down. Clove smirked at her own demise and the irony of the whole situation.

After all the threats and attempts to kill the girl on fire, karma had decided to deal her a heavy hand of irony.

Clove laughed at the predicament she found herself in as Katniss moved cautiously towards where Clove was laying on the ground.

She was looking at Clove anxiously, and hesitantly moved closer to her as Clove started to laugh.

"Well? Do it, fire girl! Kill me! You know you want to!" Clove shouted, almost begging for the girl standing above her to be the one to end her life.

She had accepted death with open arms.

But Katniss neither moved or said anything, she only gazed down at Clove with no discernible expression on her face.

She then knelt down and mumbled, "Don't move," as she placed a hand on Clove's fractured shoulder.

Clove stared in astonishment as Katniss inspected her injury. "What are you doing?" she asked incredulously.

"Helping you," Katniss said.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Clove's head swarmed from the confusion of Katniss offering her help and from the pain she felt throbbing fiercely on her broken shoulder blade.

Katniss had proceeded to sit Clove up against the base of a tree after much effort while Clove spat a few obscenities at her for moving her too quickly.

"Ahh!" Clove groaned out in pain as Katniss carefully removed Clove's red jacket off of her, leaving her in only her black vest adorned with her throwing knives.

"I'll just be taking these off you," Katniss said, and slipped Clove's throwing knives off their secured straps one by one. "Just for my own safety," Katniss added.

Clove couldn't help but chuckle derisively at the girl in front of her. "You're stupid, fire girl. Why are you helping me?"

Katniss didn't answer her and only continued to take Clove's weapons away from her.

Clove was becoming increasingly angry from the silent treatment she was receiving. "Answer me!" she yelled, almost pleadingly.

Katniss stopped what she was doing and stared Clove in her gleaming, dark eyes. "I don't know," she confessed honestly. She wasn't sure if it was pity or something else…

Clove felt her defenses lower as she saw fire girl seemed to be as confused as her about the events unfolding between them.

"You're not afraid that once I heal, I'll slit your throat in your sleep?" Clove asked, bluntly.

Katniss only shook her head no. "I don't think you realize that _I'm_ in control right now," she pointed out. "You're the one that's injured and defenseless at the moment. You should be worried that I may kill _you_ at any time."

Clove clenched her jaw and realized that the stupid girl was right. She kept silent afterwards and only glared at Katniss, still not trusting her intentions fully.

"You're planning something," Clove said simply as Katniss rummaged through her pack to see what was in it.

"You're not helping me for no reason. Not after all the times I've tried to kill you - I don't believe it," Clove said coldly.

"Believe what you want to believe," Katniss said, uninterested. "But if you really want me to leave you here, I will."

Clove heard the threat and felt her heart beat rapidly at the possibility of Katniss leaving her alone and injured.

"Listen, fire girl," Clove said, making up her mind. "After I heal, we go our separate ways, and if we end up having to face each other any time during the games, don't think I'll show you any mercy."

"Same here," Katniss replied curtly.

They looked each other in the eyes and Clove felt a warmth begin to stir beneath her chest from Katniss' piercing gaze.

_What is this feeling? _Clove mentally questioned herself and started to fear the unfamiliar emotions running through her.

Katniss sorted out the contents of her pack and found a black thin sleeping bag, a pack of crackers, pack of dried beef strips, bottle of iodine, box of wooden matches, bit of coiled wire, pair of night vision glasses, and an empty half gallon plastic water bottle.

Clove stared at Katniss' every move as she rummaged through the bag and pulled each item out and noticed the bright orange color of the bag. She couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous color.

"Better camouflage that bag fire girl - somebody could spot that thing miles away."

Katniss realized that Clove had a point and began to rub some dirt on the pack - subduing the orange shade.

Clove's eyes roved over Katniss' body as she watched her vigorously rub the dark dirt onto the backpack. She couldn't help but find her attractive with her long, braided, black hair, her olive skin, and pretty grey eyes.

Clove gulped down the temptation to reach out and touch her.

_What's happening to me? _She thought to herself as she started to realize that she may actually harbor some feelings for the stupid girl.

Katniss noticed it was getting dark as the artificial sky above them dulled from the setting sun.

With the sun disappearing, Katniss shivered from the dropping temperature and turned around to see that Clove was too.

Katniss grabbed the sleeping bag and sat down beside Clove. It was the closest she had ever been to the girl that had earlier tried to throw a knife at her face.

Katniss had thought she'd be more wary about being so close to Clove due to her murderous nature, but she instead found it calming to have another person by her side.

Clove was startled at Katniss' sudden close proximity as she sat down next to her.

She flinched nervously from the wave of warmth emitting from the other girl's body while Katniss laid the blanket over the both of them and made extra sure the bushes in the area covered them well from any potential danger.

An indescribable feeling rushed through Clove's body and left a throbbing warmth to engulf her heart. The emotion was so foreign to her, she nearly shoved Katniss far away from her in fear, but her melting heart did not allow her to do so.

Katniss could almost hear the gasps the people of the Capitol as they watched the unbelievable moment take place between Clove and herself.

Girl on fire from District 12 and Career tribute Clove from District 2 cuddling beside each other on the first night of the games? Katniss could only imagine the thoughts going through Haymitch and Effie's head as they watched the events unfold.

_Haymitch is probably drinking himself to death right now because of me_, Katniss thought, and knew that what she was doing was far from their original game plan - acting as if she was in love with Peeta, the boy from her own district.

Judging from the lack of any falling sponsor gifts, Katniss assumed that what she was doing was being frowned upon.

_Audiences are probably bewildered and flabbergasted at…, _Katniss lost her train of thought. _At what? _She asked herself. _There is nothing between me and Clove_, she convinced herself and looked over at the feisty girl sitting extremely still beside her.

Clove didn't dare move or even breathe. Something was overtaking her cold and callous nature, and she was trying her best not to succumb to it.

She felt eyes on her and turned her head to see Katniss staring intensely at her.

"What?" Clove asked a bit harshly.

Katniss moved in closer to get a closer look at Clove's face and saw her clearly for the first time.

Up close, she looked like a normal teenager, with her fierce stare and angry disposition - Clove could have easily been mistaken as any other teenager with a chip on their shoulder.

_Up close, she doesn't look scary at all_, Katniss thought and smiled a bit.

Clove felt her face becoming hot as Katniss gazed at her silently with a faint smile on her face. For the first time in her life, she felt vulnerable.

"What are you smirking at, fire girl?" Clove disguised her shaky voice with her harsh tone.

Katniss inched in a bit closer, but was stopped by the sound of a soft thud coming from behind her. She and Clove whipped their heads in the direction of the noise to only find a small package tied to a small white parachute lying on the ground.

They stared at each other for a brief moment before Katniss stretched out an arm to grab it. She held the light box in her hands and opened it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Clove held her breath in anticipation as soon as she saw Katniss holding the package in between her hands.

She was still half lost in a state of stupor from what Katniss was about to do before the arrival of the package interrupted her.

_Why had she leaned in so close to me? _Clove wondered and gazed at Katniss curiously.

Katniss opened the small box carefully and saw an expensive looking bottle with some pearly liquid inside.

On top of the gift was a typed note: 'Don't know what you're doing. But oddly enough, it seems to have added fuel to the relationship between you and Peeta. You know how people eat up love triangles. A gift from Cloveniss supporters. Haymitch.'

Katniss stared at the note ad reread it twice and then a third time - disbelieving that there were people who supported her decision to help Clove.

_I thought people would have hated me for helping out a Career tribute, and what's a 'Cloveniss'?_ she wondered internally about the fusion of their names.

Clove was getting impatient. "What is it?" she said irritably, and Katniss handed her the note.

Clove read the note quickly and felt her body freeze. "Cloveniss?" she asked aloud.

Katniss only smiled and took out the bottle that came in the package.

"It seems that you're now part of a love triangle," she said amused, and twisted the cork off the top of the vial.

Clove held her mouth open in silence and read the note again. "What in the hell?" she mumbled to herself as Katniss brought the bottle to her lips.

"Here, this will make your fractured shoulder mend quicker. I've seen my mother use this once on one of our richer clients - it must have cost "Cloveniss" supporters a ton of money," Katniss informed her.

Clove looked Katniss in the eyes and drank the smooth, cold liquid down. She grimaced from its thick and mucous-like texture.

Katniss smiled and Clove felt her heart flutter at the lovely sight.

"You know, you haven't said anything about this whole…ordeal," Katniss suddenly said hesitantly about their implied relationship.

Clove kept her lips tight and gave her a hard look. "If it means I get benefits in the game, then I don't see why I can't play along."

Katniss looked somewhat disheartened at Clove's statement.

_Stupid! _Clove reprimanded herself. _I didn't mean to say that! What I really want to say, is that I'm elated, delighted from everything that's happened because…because I think I…, _Clove's thoughts trailed off as she finally gave in to her true feelings.

Katniss remained silent after Clove's cold opinion on their relationship. She had never thought she would ever fall for someone like Clove.

She was so callous and mean on the outside, but deep down, Katniss knew that she wasn't what she displayed herself to be to everyone. Deep down, she knew there was so much more to Clove and that was what kept her so helplessly addicted to the girl from District 2.

Clove felt her heart sink at the sad look on Katniss' face. She moved closer to Katniss and whispered in her ear so softly, the audience probably strained their ears to catch what was being said.

"Don't be sad, girl on fire," Clove said sincerely, "I think you've done the impossible - you truly have made me fall for you."

Katniss' body perked up from Clove's confession and she turned around to look into her beautifully dark, mysterious eyes. Katniss saw sincerity reflected in them and felt safe for the first time since entering the games.

Clove's body seemed to move on its own as she inched closer towards Katniss. Their lips were nearly touching as she listened to the sound of Katniss' breathing become more erratic.

Katniss could feel Clove's warm breath mingling with her own and felt dizzy from anticipation. This would be her first kiss - she never expected it to be from a girl like Clove.

Clove smirked as if she could hear what she was thinking and pressed her lips on Katniss' deliciously warm, soft ones and felt a tingling sensation spread from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

A warmth spread like fire throughout her body as she pressed their lips together even harder, wanting to taste Katniss' sweet mouth as much as possible.

She found herself completely lost in the moment as all fear and trepidation left her body as she held onto the only thing that mattered to her at the moment: Katniss, girl on fire, the only girl who made her feel such dizzying, frightening emotions.

Katniss could feel Clove pressing her body close to hers as she grasped the sides of Clove's face to pull her in as close to her body as possible.

The Capitol must be raging - some possibly yelling at their T.V. screens 'What about Peeta?' and some probably cheering the two girls on with fan-girlish glee.

Their lips parted to catch their breaths and Katniss panted from the intensity of Clove's kiss while gazing at her with hazy, glazed eyes.

Clove then moved her mouth down to Katniss' neck and sucked on the soft flesh slowly and sweetly and then harder and more roughly - grazing her teeth along the tender flesh just enough not to cause too much pain.

Katniss moaned from the mixture of pain and pleasure and writhed underneath Clove.

Clove moved her nimble fingers down to the belt buckle around Katniss' cargo pants. She loosened the belt and unbuttoned her pants at a painstakingly slow pace.

Katniss could feel her body trembling from desire as Clove continued to suck at her neck and kissed her way down to her collar bone.

Clove removed Katniss' black jacket and was about to lift the shirt off too before Katniss stopped her.

"Wait," Katniss said breathlessly. "I-I don't know if we should do this on national T.V." she said half-heartedly. She really didn't want to stop, but then she thought about her mom and Prim, and even Gale, and wondered if she wanted them to see her on such a… personal level.

Clove raised an eyebrow and scoffed impatiently. "Don't worry so much," she said simply, and proceeded to part Katniss' legs to place a hand roughly in between them.

"Ahh!" Katniss moaned loudly at the sudden pleasure rippling through her body caused by the pressure coming from Clove's hand. "Wait!" She squealed out, but Clove pretended not to hear her.

"Relax, fire girl," Clove whispered in her ear. "If it's so important to you, I won't remove your clothing." She then moved her hand inside of Katniss' pants and moved her fingers to her moistened core.

"I won't say 'you're so wet' because it's such a cliché, but in this case, it couldn't be more true," Clove teased.

Katniss felt herself blush hotly at Clove's teasing comment and tried her best to suppress a moan as Clove rubbed her hand aggressively against her sensitive bundle of nerves.

Even though Clove confessed that she loved Katniss - revealing her softer side, her personality did not become any less intense, she was rough and aggressive, but maybe that was what attracted Katniss to her - she wanted more than the cliché prince charming, she wanted excitement.

Clove's fingernails were a bit long and Katniss could feel the sharpness of her nails grazing her clit lightly causing an intoxicating pleasure to rack her entire body.

She held onto Clove's shoulders and realized that Clove's injury had healed and smiled. She was glad Clove was no longer defenseless and healthy again.

At the thought of Clove's injury Katniss felt her happiness dwindle because it brought the games back into her mind like a slap to the face.

She pushed the thought far away and tried her best to enjoy the moment she had with Clove now despite the tragedy that may await them tomorrow.

Clove could sense Katniss becoming distant and felt self-conscious of what she was doing. "Am I hurting you?" she asked her.

Katniss only nodded no and smiled sweetly giving Clove a long kiss on the lips. "No, you could never hurt me," she whispered and hugged Clove tightly to her body.

Clove paused at her words and felt her body soften from the reassurance. She inhaled the scent of Katniss' hair as her mind swam with thoughts of the forest and all things pure.

She held onto Katniss' trembling body and proceeded to pleasure her with quick, skillful movements of her fingers.

Katniss felt her body wanting a release from all the pleasure building up inside her. She panted and moaned as Clove brought her to a state of utter ecstasy and collapsed into Clove's arms while resting her head on her once injured shoulder.

Katniss had never experienced anything quite like what Clove had given her and for that, she was grateful.

She gently grabbed at the back of Clove's head to pull her in for a passionate kiss.

Clove was left breathless as they parted and was shocked to see Katniss' eyes brimming with tears. Katniss smiled sadly and tried her best not to cry as she whispered, "I wish we could stay like this forever."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Clove had fallen asleep without realizing she had and was dreaming. In her dream, she saw her father looking at her with utter shame and disgust.

His cold, steely-blue eyes bore straight into her - reprimanding her for being a fool.

She could almost smell the whiskey on his breath as he yelled at her, "What are you doing Clove? Have you forgotten all the training you've done to be a Career?" The vein in his forehead had always been prominent, but even more so when he was angry. "You're pathetic! You're letting a weak District 12 girl play you for a fool!"

In her dream he was shaking her roughly and yelling at her with his acrid whiskey breath inches away from her face. "She doesn't love you!" he roared. "She doesn't love you - nobody ever will!"

Clove moaned sadly in her sleep and tossed and turned in a fit of unrest. She couldn't escape him. Her father had a tight grip on her and refused to let her go. He kept yelling at her, over and over again, beating her down with his words, until she was awakened by a soft nudge.

Katniss had prodded her gently and looked down at her with a worried expression on her face.

Clove felt a thin coat of cold sweat covering her whole body from the realism of her nightmare. She rubbed a hand on her sweaty forehead - feeling a throbbing headache starting to develop from the dream.

Katniss continued to stare at her helplessly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you alright?" she asked with eyes full of concern.

Clove stared into Katniss' eyes and then at the hand she had placed on her shoulder - a shift in her thoughts made her look at Katniss in a different light. Because of her dream, she was reminded of why she was here in the games in the first place - to win and bring pride to her district, the only goal she has ever known to pursue.

She looked at Katniss' grey eyes and tried to look at her without seeing her father, but it was useless. Now, all she saw was her father's cold, piercing eyes glaring at her threateningly.

She thought to herself if she really could trust the girl. Why did Katniss trust her so easily? Why did she care for her at all? Clove began questioning everything and felt her heart slowly returning to its usual distrusting, cold ways.

Clove shrugged the hand off her shoulder and got up to brush dirt off of herself. She didn't speak or even look at Katniss.

Katniss stared at her confusedly. "What's the matter with you?" she asked a bit angrily as Clove turned her back on her to put on her jacket.

"Listen," Clove said, and turned around, "this…should not have ever happened, fire girl."

Katniss got up and walked over towards her shaking her head in disbelief at what she had heard. "What are you saying?" she asked impatiently.

Clove stared at her and felt a bit sad at what she was about to say, but then she remembered the dream she had - her father shaking her, telling her to harden up and not to be played a fool, to remember that she was a Career, and that all she was good for was to kill.

Clove felt the malicious side of her beat down any gentleness she started to have, and felt more powerful as she discarded all the useless emotions out the window. No more frivolous feelings to hold her back from her destiny, and that was to win the Hunger Games, she reminded herself.

"I mean, I think it's time to part ways," she said matter-of-factly, and stared at the throwing knives beneath her feet.

Katniss furrowed her eyebrows and balled up her fists, "You're joking, right? So last night…," she trailed off, too angry to continue.

"Was all an act," Clove finished for her and looked right into her watering, grey, eyes. Her heart twisted a bit from the look of complete despair on Katniss' face, but she knew it was for the best - after all, they would have had to face off one another at one point no matter what. It was best to cut all the strings now.

"I've already got what I needed to mend my injury - I no longer have any use for you," Clove said harshly, angering Katniss even further.

"You liar!" she yelled out furiously. Lost in a whirlwind of rage, she lunged herself at Clove. Clove was caught by surprise and was soon pinned down by Katniss' surprising strength.

There were tears streaming down Katniss' face as she yelled at her. "Tell me everything meant nothing to you! Tell me you feel nothing for me at all!" her voice cracked from her tears and the overwhelming rage wracking her body.

Clove struggled to push Katniss off of her, but with the combination of her anger and strength, it was useless.

"Come on, fire girl, you know what I am. I'm a Career!" she shouted at her. "That's how we are raised to be - cold, brutal, and ruthless!"

Katniss pressed her even further into the dirt. "I guess, I was an idiot for believing you were more than a killer," Katniss confessed. She felt angry and sad at the same time. Angry for tricking herself into believing Clove actually cared for her. Sad at the cold and harsh tone Clove was speaking to her.

Clove tried once more to shove Katniss off, but failed. She turned her head to the side and saw her throwing knives were within her reach. She stretched out a hand to grab it, but Katniss realized what she was doing.

But she was too late. Clove had gotten her hands on the knives and placed one on Katniss' throat, ready to slice the beautiful flesh she had once relished in her mouth. She now had the upper hand as a newfound strength returned to her - overpowering Katniss as she now had her pinned underneath her.

Katniss' eyes opened wide in surprise as she felt the cold steel of the blade threatening to pierce her flesh - it felt as cold as the dark eyes that stared back at her - eyes she remembered, just last night, shone with a beautiful intensity.

Clove had her usual evil smirk on her face. She relished the feeling of returning back to her old self. Her confidence was back and she felt invincible. She was a fool for ever letting any silly emotions seep into her in the first place.

She could almost picture her father cheering her on back at District 2 - approving her actions and for fulfilling the role in which he raised her to be - a killer.

She pressed the blade further into Katniss' throat, encouraged from the thought of her father's approval, and drawing a bit of blood. "I must admit, fire girl," Clove chuckled. "You made me care for you for a moment, but only for a moment."

Katniss felt the sharp blade pressing into her throat and struggled to remove Clove's hand, but Clove's relentless grip, made it impossible for her push her away.

Sounds of running footsteps came from behind them and Clove's ears perked up from the sound of a male's voice yelling for Katniss - Peeta's voice, she realized.

She turned her head in the direction of Peeta's voice - distracting her from Katniss for a fleeting moment. Katniss seized her window of opportunity and shoved Clove off of her as hard as she could.

Clove fell to the ground with a thud and saw that Peeta had a knife in his hands and was running towards her with a glint of utmost determination in his blue eyes. With a flick of her wrist, she quickly threw a knife at him hitting his right leg, and causing him to topple to the ground with a pained grunt.

She saw Katniss looking at Peeta in shock and then at her. Clove saw the hurt in her eyes as she stared at the injured Peeta and her nerves became alit with fury - that she'd never admit to herself was jealousy - and threw another knife at Katniss, but she dodged it just in time - causing the blade to only graze her left arm in the process.

Katniss felt a stab of pain shoot through her left arm as the blade sliced her flesh. Katniss swiftly grabbed a hold of the knife that Clove used to throw at her, and retaliated. She had adept skill in knife throwing also, and it showed when she cut Clove's right cheek deeply with the knife.

Clove yelled in pain and pressed her hand hard on the cut. She glowered her eyes at the girl for a moment before deciding it was wise to finish her off at another time. Clove ran in the opposite direction into the forest - knowing she needed allies to help kill the girl. She underestimated her skill and will to survive.

Clove's brain whirred with blurred images of her father and Katniss until they soon became intermixed in a series of confusing voices. Her father's baritone voice roared threats and obscenities over Katniss' gentle promises of love and devotion. Clove ran as fast as she could until her ribs wracked with pain from the lack of oxygen.

She stopped to rest and breathed heavily while listening closely to the sounds of the forest, but all she could hear were her father's harsh words still echoing in her mind like a frightening broken record.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Katniss stood frozen in place as Clove had made her escape into the arena's forest and disappeared from her sight. She was still too shocked at how quickly things had changed to budge. Wasn't it just last night, she had felt safe and loved in Clove's arms?

Hearing an agonized groan, Katniss' attention returned to the injured Peeta writhing on the ground. He grasped a hand to the blade sticking out of his right thigh, and cringed from the stabbing pain.

"Wait," Katniss said, and knelt down beside him. "Let me take it out." She then took a firm grip on the hilt of the blade and looked into Peeta's eyes for reassurance.

Peeta nodded his head firmly and closed his eyes, anticipating the worst.

Katniss swiftly pulled the knife from his leg in one swift movement as Peeta hissed from the terrible pain. The blade was in deep, but it hadn't hit any major arteries, Katniss noted.

"Thanks," Peeta said breathlessly, panting from the lingering pain shooting through his entire right leg.

Katniss gave him a small smile in response - her vocal chords seemed to have frozen over She had not had the time to digest the deep sadness she felt for Clove's sudden hurtful betrayal.

"You alright?" Peeta asked and gazed at her, while she ripped a piece of cloth from her sleeve to bandage his leg.

Katniss only shook her head yes, and then remembered that Peeta had just saved her life. "Thank you, Peeta," she said, and stopped. "For…," she suddenly found it difficult to finish her sentence.

Peeta stopped her from finishing. "It's okay, you don't have to thank me," he said, and smiled.

Katniss smiled sadly back, trying her hardest not to divulge in the depression overtaking her. She tried to focus her attention on Peeta, but her mind couldn't help wander off to what Clove had done to her. _How can you be so cruel, Clove? _Katniss sadly wondered, but she knew Clove was a Career, and thinking she could be anything else was utterly foolish of her. She wondered if she would ever see her again.

Clove continued to run as far away from Katniss as she could. She ran until her legs felt like jelly. How long had she been running? Clove stopped to think and to catch her breath. She had to find her fellow Career tributes - it was her only chance to stay alive.

Clove thought back to what Cato had told her before entering the arena. "Meet us at the Cornucopia if you ever get lost - we'll be there," he whispered in secret to her.

Clove observed her surroundings and realized she was not far from where they first started. She retraced her steps onwards to the Cornucopia - searching for any familiar landmarks. As she walked in isolation, she couldn't help but wonder if fate would allow her to see the girl on fire once more.

Katniss had stopped Peeta's leg from bleeding any further. During the whole time, she was still half-lost in a daze. Peeta grew more concerned for Katniss with each hesitant and one-worded response he was getting out of her.

"How did you get caught off guard by that Clove girl?" he suddenly asked her.

Katniss snapped out of her daze at the mention of Clove. She had to come up with a lie - if Peeta knew the truth about her and Clove - she didn't know how he'd react.

"She found me when I was sleeping," she lied. "It was a bad idea for me to sleep on the ground and not up in the trees."

Peeta stared at her silently for a few seconds and then said. "I'm just happy I found you in time. I've been looking for you ever since," he confessed.

Katniss could only look at him - she didn't know how to respond. If she told him how she truly felt - it would break his heart. "You're a good friend, Peeta," she only said.

Peeta frowned slightly at the word friend. "You're a good friend too Katniss…," he said softly and stared at her without saying another word.

Clove could begin to see the large structure of the Cornucopia looming through the trees. She listened for any sounds and heard a couple of voices. One was definitely Cato's and the others probably belonged to Glimmer and Marvel.

She peered through the trees to make sure it was really them, and saw Cato acting loud and obnoxious as usual, swinging his sword to show off his skill and strength.

Glimmer was gazing at him admiringly with one hand under her chin while Marvel laughed at Cato's antics. They were still alive and they looked oddly carefree for people who were in a competition to the death.

Clove steeled herself and walked from the cover of the trees to step out in the open. At first, the three of them had thought she was another tribute, but as soon as they realized who she was, they dropped their weapons.

Cato's eyes immediately locked onto her face, and he smiled widely. "Clove!" he said happily, and ushered her over. "Where have you been?"

Clove looked around and saw all of the supplies stocked up high near the Cornucopia - there were enough things to last a good long while.

Glimmer glared at Clove as Cato focused all of the attention on her. "We thought you decided to betray us," Glimmer said accusingly, and stared at Clove suspiciously.

Clove only shrugged and said, "I was so determined to get fire girl, I guess I lost my way there for a while."

Marvel poked his spear at the dirt and said, "Judging from the fact that we haven't seen fire girl's image in the sky, I'm guessing you failed."

Glimmer snickered at Marvel's comment, but stopped as soon as she saw Cato frowning at her.

"Don't worry about it," Cato said, and offered her a place to sit down. "With the four of us together now, fire girl is as good as dead." The three of them laughed, except for Clove who only smiled halfheartedly.

Glimmer noticed Clove's lack of enthusiasm and took note of it, but decided not to mention it. She only plucked mindlessly at the taut string on her bow.

Cato was looking at Clove happily as Clove squirmed in her makeshift seat. "So, how many people are left?" she eventually asked.

"Not much actually," Cato said, and counted on his fingers. "Let's see, there's fire girl, Peeta, Rue, that girl who looks like a fox, Thresh, and us four - so that's nine people left."

Marvel twirled his spear and smiled at the small number of survivors left. Glimmer continued to stare enviously at how close Cato was sitting next to Clove.

Clove could feel the jealousy emitting from Glimmer's stare, but she found it ridiculous that someone as beautiful as Glimmer to be envious of her. Besides, she didn't even like Cato in that way.

Clove's thoughts went back to Katniss and she felt her heart beat slightly at the memory of her face. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find a way to forget her. Clove wanted to be rid of her memory completely. She was seeping under her skin like poison. Killing her would make her unobtainable and therefore, releasing Clove from all these burdensome emotions. It was the only solution Clove could think of to make sure she would never feel vulnerable ever again. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but Katniss was her one and only weakness.

"I noticed you have all the supplies stockpiled near the Cornucopia," Clove mentioned the large mountain of backpacks and food.

"Yeah, we have enough stuff to last for a long time. We even used the District 3 boy to reactivate the mines to protect the supplies from any thieves - I'll teach you how to get around it later," Cato said proudly.

Clove stared at the ground near the supplies and shivered at the thought of stepping on one of the mines accidentally.

It was reaching night time and the Careers decided they should get some sleep. Clove was given a sleeping bag from Cato. She spread it out and laid on it, not feeling sleepy in the least. She stared at the sky and remembered the first night she spent in the arena with Katniss. She couldn't believe she let herself get carried away so far - it was as if she was another person. What was it about fire girl that made her act that way she wondered and turned to her side.

Glimmer who was sleeping beside her, was observing her silently. Her eyes were narrowed suspiciously as Clove locked eyes with her.

"Can't sleep?" Glimmer asked, in an icy tone.

Clove didn't know what to say, she only continued to look back at her silently.

"Something about you seems different," Glimmer softly said accusingly.

"Like what?" Clove challenged her - she was sick and tired of all the wary stares Glimmer kept giving her ever since she arrived.

"I don't know…," Glimmer trailed off. "You don't seem as tough as you used to be," she admitted.

Clove sat up. "If you have something to say Glimmer, just say it," Clove angrily said.

Before Glimmer could respond, they heard a small succession of thumps hitting the ground near the supplies. Clove turned her head just in time to see Katniss near the forest with a bow in her hands. Glimmer followed Clove's gaze and saw the weapon in Katniss' hands. She had somehow stolen Glimmer's bow when she left it unattended.

Glimmer's last words were, "That sneaky bi-" before a loud thunderous boom resonated around them. Katniss had set the mines off around the supplies.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Clove had never thought she would ever be caught in an explosion, but that was exactly what happened to her. She felt her body flailing in the air like a rag doll. She thought she had gone completely deaf as a loud ringing rang incessantly in her ears - blocking out any other sounds. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. She saw Glimmer's body dropping limply on the ground with a sickening thud. The supplies flew through the air in all directions - it was raining supplies, Clove couldn't help thinking.

She thought she saw flashes of Cato being blown away by the force of the blast along with Marvel as their large bodies floated in the air as if weightless.

Images flashed by Clove in quick blurs. She felt she had died for her mind went blank white, but she soon regained her sight partially, albeit it was hazy. Her body had dropped to the ground hard from the propulsion of the powerful explosion. A third of her outfit had burned off into rags from the intense heat of the combustion.

Clove tried to speak, but only a barely audible whimper came from her throat. Her body was numb from pain, but the pain signified to her that she was still alive. She wasn't sure if the other Careers were so fortunate. She spotted Cato struggling to pick himself up - much of his body was severely burned. Marvel's groans were muffled as he laid face down in the dirt, barely moving. Glimmer was not moving at all.

Clove attempted to move her body, but her limbs screamed in protest as she tried. She felt blood dripping from her forehead and touched the area. A deep gash had resulted from her fall. Her head felt light and foggy - she wondered if she was about to lose consciousness.

Clove used all her strength to crawl towards the others, but she was suddenly stopped by a foot on her back. She turned around to see Katniss staring down at her angrily.

"Heh, fire girl," Clove chuckled weakly. Her vision was fading as she stared at the beautifully angry face.

She knew that whatever Katniss was about to do to her, she deserved. She closed her eyes, readying herself for death, but it never came. Instead, Katniss had released the pressure off of Clove's back to avert her attention to something else.

Clove weakly turned her head to the direction of Katniss' eyes to see Marvel stumbling back on his feet, and throwing his spear at a little girl. It was Rue, the girl from District 11. The spear pierced the small girl effortlessly, causing Katniss to immediately release an arrow directly into Marvel's torso, killing him instantly.

The last thing Clove saw before she passed out was Katniss running hurriedly to the small girl's side. Her vision went dark as she felt herself slip into unconsciousness.

A small breeze blowing past her weak body provoked Clove's eyes to flutter open. She groaned from the throbbing pain emitting from the gash on her forehead. She placed a hand on her injury and felt dried blood caking her hair. She looked around to see where she was, and realized she was still at the Cornucopia. Everyone was gone except for her. How long had she been passed out?

She moved her body slowly and carefully to sit herself up. The Cornucopia was cleaned up by the Gamemakers and the bodies had been lifted away by the airship. She wondered who had died and who had survived the explosion. She knew Glimmer most likely didn't make it, and Marvel was definitely killed, and that girl Rue.

Clove wasn't entirely sure if Cato was still alive or what had happened after she passed out. _What about Katniss? _She pondered. _Had she made it out alive? _

She remembered the anger reflected in Katniss' eyes when she looked at her - she looked like she couldn't stand the sight of her, and Clove couldn't blame her._ But she had spared me, _Clove thought. Katniss could easily have killed her when she was passed out, or maybe she thought Clove was already dead, or perhaps Katniss got killed before she could have the chance to exact her revenge.

Clove felt her head ache from thinking of all the possibilities and decided to let things be no matter what had happened.

She rubbed at her sore legs - still unable to believe she was fortunate the explosion hadn't blown her to pieces. She was lucky she was far enough from the explosion not to get seriously injured. Glimmer was not so lucky it seemed. Clove was only sore from the bruises caused by the great height she was thrown from by the force of the explosion.

It hurt like hell and it took almost all of her strength, but she was finally able to stand up on her two feet. She nearly fainted from the effort. Her vision was still a little blurry and her lips were cracked from dehydration.

She had to find a water source quickly. She had no way of knowing how long her body had been without water, and with all the blood she lost - she didn't know how long she would last.

She stumbled slightly with the first steps she took and her head throbbed unbearably, but her will to survive pushed her forward. She ducked into the forest trying to remember where she saw a river when she was running through the area earlier.

She had thought she saw one not so far from the Cornucopia, so she headed towards the direction. Her breath was shallow and ragged and her body had never felt so weak. It took much effort to just put one foot after the other.

She kept thinking back to Katniss and the way she looked at her with utter hatred. Clove had to admit, it hurt her a little to see Katniss look at her in such a way. She had even attempted to kill her with the explosion. Peeta must have informed of her of where she was and waited for a chance to strike.

"So you've got some fight in you after all, huh, fire girl?" Clove said out loud to herself and laughed deliriously.

Her vision was swaying back and forth and her body followed suit. _Have to find water, _Clove thought desperately.

Clove perked her ears at the sound of splashing. Her heart leapt as she recognized the sound of rushing water. She followed the sound until she spotted a small riverbank. As fast as her body would allow, Clove ran to it and decided it looked clear enough to be safe to drink.

She drank the water as if her stomach was a bottomless pit. The liquid felt like silk and tasted delicious as it went down her throat. Her parched tongue was soothed by the water's cool and refreshing deliciousness. She dumped her face in the water to clean her injury and to cool herself off. Water was her new favorite thing in nature.

After she had her fill of water, she sat down to let the water in her stomach settle. It was unbelievably hot today - the Gamemakers were showing no mercy as the days progressed.

Clove realized she hadn't eaten a proper meal ever since she caught up with the Careers and searched her surroundings for anything edible. She didn't have much knowledge in hunting and scavenging for edible plants or berries and her stomach rumbled for any type of nourishment.

After her third failed attempt at stabbing a fish with one of her knives, a jarring trumpet note followed by the booming voice of Seneca Crane, the head Gamemaker, echoed throughout the arena. "At this point in the Games, every tribute is in desperate need of something. He or she will find that very thing in a backpack at the Cornucopia the next day at dawn," was all he said, ending the announcement.

Clove automatically knew what the thing she needed desperately was and that was food. It was getting dark, and Clove decided it was best to try her luck at the temptation dealt by the Game Makers - she just had to ride out he hunger until tomorrow morning. She found a nice secluded spot under the overhang of a rock and laid down. She tried her best to quell her hunger by chewing on some leaves. And drinking more water to trick her stomach into thinking it was full.

Tomorrow would reveal who was still alive and could possibly be the end to the whole games. The strategy the Game Makers was using was ingenious - bring all the survivors to one location so they could kill everyone at once to force a victor as a result.

Clove laid her head back against the smooth, cold rock and wondered if Katniss would be there and what her coveted item could be. Her body warmed slightly at the thought of fire girl - making her forget her hunger for a second. Deep down, Clove hoped Katniss was still alive out there somewhere.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**AN: Sorry for the long wait - been having a bad case of writer's block for the past couple of weeks. Hope you all enjoy the chapter. **

A mockingjay's sorrowful cry woke Clove up from her fitful sleep. The air was thick with fog as Clove blinked away the drowsiness from her eyes. The mockingjay continued to chirp a mournful tune as if to signal the inevitable tragic end of the games. The sound of the mockingjay reminded Clove of fire girl and the ridiculous pin she had worn since the beginning of the games - the symbol of her district. The pride and love Katniss had for her district was unfamiliar to Clove for she felt nothing but hatred towards her own. Besides, what did her district ever do for her except force her to volunteer her life for _their _pride and glory.

Thinking about her home gave Clove a bad taste in her mouth so she went to the river to swallow some water and spat it back out. Her reflection stared back at her with eyes dulled from hunger and fatigue - she looked utterly exhausted. Clove barely recognized the image of the girl in the water and felt self-pity start to gnaw at her insides. She slapped the water roughly, breaking her reflection into nothing but distorted ripples.

Clove jogged lightly to save some strength as she made her way towards the Cornucopia where the feast would be held. Her body was still sore from yesterday and her stomach was numb from hunger. Clove had to make sure she was one of the first ones there to scope out the surroundings and also her competition. A dreadful silence permeated throughout the entire arena - death appeared to hang heavy over the air. Clove felt things were soon about to come to a conclusion, but she wasn't sure if she no longer cared if it would end up good or bad for her - she just wanted the games to end.

The familiar curved sight of the massive structure of the Cornucopia loomed over the trees and Clove slowed down her pace. She listened intently to the sounds around her in case she had company, but she heard nothing but the ambience of nature. She crouched down low for some cover as she looked upon three bags with the numbers 2, 12, and 11 on them - this informed Clove of who was still alive.

The Cornucopia was empty and the surrounding forest area was still. Clove hesitated and pondered if the best tactic was to go all in by sprinting towards her bag. She wasn't sure if she had enough energy to be quick enough to do so. Her stomach rumbled loudly as she though about the food that would be in her bag - pushing away any rational plans far from her mind.

By sheer instinct and carnal desire, Clove ran with all her remaining strength towards her bag. She ran without thinking about her own safety and the risk she was taking by being so exposed in the middle of an empty field. She had only one thought in her mind and that was to grab a hold of her bag as quickly as she possibly could. The bag was nearly in her reach when she was suddenly pulled back by a large and strong hand. She was staring into the dark, angry eyes of Thresh. He wrenched her backwards with one rough tug of his powerful arm and slammed her back hard against the Cornucopia's wall. He was breathing heavily as he shouted at her. "Did you kill her?" he screamed in Clove's face. Clove could only squirm helplessly against Thresh's deathly grip on her neck.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Clove screamed out truthfully. She could feel her throat literally being crushed under Thresh's large hand and her sight was getting blurry from the lack of oxygen reaching her brain.

"Rue!" he screamed in her face. "Did you kill Rue?" his grip was getting tighter around her neck with each word he shouted at her.

Clove knew who had really killed Rue and it was most definitely not her, but it seemed she was about to die for something she didn't even do. She wasn't sure why the next words to escape her mouth was to cry out for help, especially from someone she wasn't even sure was still alive or dead. Maybe it was from the complete and utter helplessness she felt or maybe it was the only person she knew who could be strong enough to take down someone as massive in size as Thresh.

"Cato! Cato!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She screamed blindly as she felt consciousness begin to slip away from her. Her hope dwindled with each passing second when nobody appeared to save her. Suddenly, the crushing force on her throat dissipated as Thresh was tackled to the ground by Cato. Clove breathed in deeply as her knees buckled and her body dropped to the ground.

Cato pinned Thresh to the ground as the two boys wrestled for their lives. Cato had a knife clenched in his fist as he struggled to press it in Thresh's chest. Thresh resisted by pushing on Cato's wrists in a sick tug-off-war to the death. Cato looked over to Clove's body lying motionless in the dirt and thought the worse. Raw rage surged throughout his body as he pressed down with all his might against Thresh's resistance. Thresh's eyes grew large as he realized he was losing the fight. The sharp blade pierced his chest and everything in his eyesight was growing dark. His last thoughts were of Rue as he internally apologized to her for failing to avenge her death and exhaled one last final breath.

Cato stumbled off of him and ran to Clove's side. He carefully picked her up and listened for any signs of breathing. She was breathing lightly and in shallow bursts. He shook her gently in an attempt to wake her up.

Clove opened her eyes weakly to the sight of Cato staring down at her with his face bloody and bruised from fighting. Her throat was sore and her voice cracked as she spoke. "Stupid, Cato," she said jokingly. "Who knew you'd still be alive?" Cato only grinned slightly and lifted her up with ease. He laid her down against the cold wall of the Cornucopia. The last thing Clove saw before she passed out again was Catos's grinning, boyish face as he kissed her forehead softly and whispered something. She had already passed into a state of unconsciousness when he spoke - never finding out what it was he confessed to her.

Clove was startled awake by voices shouting above the Cornucopia. She recognized them as Cato's and Katniss'.

"Go on! Shoot, and we both go down. Go on. I'm dead anyway. I always was, right? I couldn't tell that until now. How's that, is that what they want? I can still do this… I can still do this. One more kill. It's the only thing I know how to do, bringing pride to my district. Not that it matters." Cato was speaking with a voice riddled with hurt. Clove felt her heart wrench in pain in response to Cato's speech. She had never realized how much turmoil Cato was harboring inside beneath his tough exterior - they had much more in common than she ever realized.

Katniss wasn't saying anything back as things fell silent. Seconds felt like an eternity as Clove felt her body freeze in suspense. The next thing she heard was the whoosh of Katniss' arrow being shot from her bow and the following gasp of pain from Cato. A loud bang echoed throughout the shell of the Cornucopia as Cato's large body toppled to the ground in front of Clove.

Hurried sounds of running came from the forest as a pack of wolves burst out from behind the trees, growling and snarling viciously. They sprinted towards Cato's vulnerable body - hungry for fresh meat.

Clove clasped her hands to her mouth at the sight of Cato's body being ravaged by the Capital's mutated wolves. They were too distracted by the fresh meat in front of them to pay any mind to Clove. Cato screamed in agonizing pain as the wolves deliberately took their time with him. Sounds of Cato's screaming chilled Clove to her core. She became nauseated as a mixture of snarling and ripping tore through the night.

Clove stared back at Cato's piercing blue eyes and communicated with him silently. His eyes were full of pain and hurt as tears fell from them. Clove's heart dropped with despairing guilt as she shook her head in disbelief at what she was witnessing. Cato had saved her life and was her partner in the games since the beginning - she loved him like a big brother she never had.

"Please!" he begged as the wolves bit into his flesh. He was begging for a quick death. Clove then saw another arrow pierce his skull, ending his life instantly. Katniss had done him a favor by putting him out of his misery. The wolves ran away from his body, giving Clove a clear view of Cato's mangled body. She tried her best not to let out a mournful cry for his death.

Katniss and Peeta was conversing with each other above her. "There's only the Clove girl left right?" Peeta said to Katniss.

Katniss was silent as Clove listened intently for her answer.

"This is what the Capital wanted. They wanted to leave the three of us last just for their sick entertainment," Katniss said in a disgusted voice. "We're all just pawns in their little game," she sighed sadly and slid down the Cornucopia with Peeta to confront Clove in the final showdown.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 **

**A/N: So very, very sorry for the long delay. It's been a dry well of ideas this entire month and I apologize for the long wait. With some effort, I've written the final chapter of the story and hope it meets my readers expectations. I truly appreciate all of you who have read and reviewed my story and wanted to tell you all that without your reassuring comments, I wouldn't have been inspired to keep on writing. Sorry for getting sentimental there… but thank you and I wish you all well! Enjoy! (Hopefully)**

Katniss and Clove's eyes met and every emotion that a human could possibly experience ran through the two of them all in one instant. Clove's breath stopped in her throat as Katniss' intense gaze appear to bore straight into her soul. Katniss held her bow tightly in her quaking hand as they stared silently at each other for what felt like forever. Clove dug her fingers against the dirt beneath her - unsure of whether or not to run or stand her ground.

"What are you waiting for?" Peeta whispered urgently into Katniss' ear. "Kill her and we can both go home."

Katniss continued to stare silently at the weakened Clove in front of her and tried her hardest to push away any sympathy she harbored for the girl. Katniss thought it would be easier to hate Clove after all she had done, but love was an emotion not so easily discarded, Katniss realized.

Clove clenched her jaw and waited for the blow that would end her life. She looked at Katniss unwaveringly - communicating with her eyes as memories of their time together in the games circulated both their thoughts. Clove's eyes started to water as she realized that she really did love Katniss, despite everything they put each other through. Clove became saddened as she realized her love for Katniss was too late. If only they had more time. If only they never got sucked into the cold cruelty their world had become. If only… was all that echoed in Clove's head. She hung her head sadly and started to sob - an action she rarely displayed to anybody. She cried for her own self-pity, she cried for all of the fallen tributes, she cried for Cato, she even cried for her father, but the person she was crying for the most was Katniss.

Her sobs echoed throughout the shell of the Cornucopia and resonated from every major television screen throughout the capital and homes of the districts. Her tears reflected those of all who've been wronged and never received the justice they so very well deserved. Audiences were amazed at such passionate emotion coming from somebody who was supposedly born and bred to be a heartless, killing machine. Their perceptions on Clove were altered as they realized the sobbing girl on the screen was just like any other young teenage girl - scared and confused from discovering for the first time how terrible the world can really be.

Katniss felt a lump in her throat as the sounds of Clove's sobs filled her head and broke her heart. She walked haltingly towards her.

"What are you doing?" Peeta said in a hushed whisper.

Katniss ignored him and continued towards where Clove huddled herself on the ground. Katniss could see her body was shaking and covered in many cuts and bruises. Clove appeared to be at the end of her rope - there was clearly no fight left in the girl. She gingerly touched Clove's shoulder and she flinched from the sudden contact. Clove looked at the glint shining from Katniss' eyes and realized she was crying too. Katniss embraced her tightly in a hug and cradled her head against her shoulder. Neither one of them said a word to each other as they held onto one another for what may be the very last time. Clove didn't want the moment to pass them, so she relished every second of it - the warmth of Katniss' body enveloping her own tired and battered one, soothed her aching head. "I've loved you the very first moment I laid eyes on you fire girl," Clove confessed from the deepest reaches of her heart as she remembered how she saw Katniss for the first time and the intense feelings of both fear and excitement at seeing such rare beauty. From that moment on, the fire in Katniss' soul captured Clove's heart without any intention of dwindling away. "I hated you for it," Clove chuckled as Katniss remained silent, but listened intently.

Peeta was still standing at the entrance at the Cornucopia staring confusedly at Katniss and Clove hugging each other as Clove whispered things into Katniss' ear. With each passing moment, it became clearer to Peeta that Katniss and Clove appeared to have had some kind of relationship with each other. His stomach churned in disgust at the thought of Katniss and Clove together. His own personal feelings for Katniss caused him to become enviously enraged at the sight before him. _Katniss is mine_, he thought adamantly. _We're the star-crossed lovers from the same district, we're the couple everyone is rooting for, we're the ones who'll be going home together!_ His mind echoed angrily. Katniss and himself were so close to gaining victory in the games, and some career tribute from District 2 wasn't going to stand in his way.

Katniss smiled sadly at Clove's confession as she gripped onto the shaking girl tighter with every sentence that passed from her lips. She couldn't bear hearing the sadness dripping from Clove's voice as she told her that she loved her.

"Please, don't hate me," Clove whispered like a child begging for forgiveness, causing Katniss to look at her in shock. Clove felt her chest constrict from the pain she was feeling as she gazed longingly into Katniss' sad eyes.

Katniss couldn't believe Clove had ever thought she hated her. They may have both tried to inflict harm towards one another, but they both knew they never could fatally harm one another. They couldn't deny the growing love that had developed between them as their connection grew stronger from the memories they weaved together during such tragic moments. Their relationship was special and different, and that was what made it true.

"Don't ever think I hate you," Katniss said sternly as Clove closed her eyes contently from Katniss' response. "I love you, Clove," Katniss whispered and kissed Clove's forehead gently. Clove sighed with a mixture of both sadness and contentment. She burrowed her face into the crook of Katniss' neck and inhaled her earthy scent deeply - relishing the lovely aroma and the safety she felt being in Katniss' arms.

Katniss heard the sound of faltering footsteps approach the two of them and looked up to see Peeta glaring down at them with his fists balled up tightly. He appeared to be shaking in an uncontrollable rage. Katniss stared at Peeta's darkened blue eyes and saw tears starting to pool inside them. He didn't say a word and only looked at Clove and then back at Katniss with an eyebrow raised questioningly. He looked at Katniss for an answer and she shook her head yes - confirming Peeta's assumption of the relationship between her and Clove.

Peeta felt his heart squeeze painfully as the silent response he received from Katniss confirmed his worst fears. He had thought Katniss truly loved him as much as he loved her. She was the only shining light of hope he had found in the games. Now, finding out it was all a lie, snapped any sane thought that may have ran through his head. His anger was rising at a dangerous rate as he became blinded from the barraging emotions of envy and pain. He grasped the sides of his head and whimpered softly like a little child.

Katniss looked on at Peeta's emotional breakdown and felt the devastating guilt wash over her entire body and soul. Clove's mouth hung open in awe at the scene playing out in front of her. There were strained noises coming from Peeta's throat similar to an injured dog whimpering from pain.

"Please, Peeta…,"was all Katniss could say as Peeta hid his face behind his quivering hands. Katniss could see tears falling freely from behind his hands as his muffled sobs were the only sounds heard in the cornucopia.

Clove felt a foreboding sense of dread befall them as Peeta's continued silence grew more and more eerie. He continued to hide his face behind his hands without saying a word - like a faceless mask of death.

After an excruciating length of time, he removed his hands from his face to reveal a set of emotionless eyes paired with a blank expression. His once, shining, bright, blue eyes were now dulled as if he had no soul. He looked at Clove and Katniss with the same expressionless stare, but it was his voice when he spoke that sent shivers through Clove the most.

"The only reason why I wanted to survive the games was so I could go home with you - you were the only thing that kept me going, Katniss," he said in a voice devoid of any kind of emotion. He spoke in a flat and monotone manner that made him seem like an entirely different person. He stared at Katniss unblinkingly as a heavy silence fell on them. "Now I've found out it was all a lie. What's the point of winning now?"

He looked at Katniss as if waiting for an answer, but Katniss could not find anything to say except, "I'm sorry, Peeta…" was all she could think of to say.

"Sorry…" Peeta repeated dully. "When has the word 'sorry' ever fixed anything?" he said and reached into his pockets for something.

Katniss immediately pulled herself and Clove up off the floor as soon as she saw Peeta go into his pockets. She knew he had a blade in there.

He pulled it out and continued to encroach the two girls. "I guess I'm going to have to kill you both," he said flatly. "I may even slit my own throat after I'm done just to give a big 'fuck you' to the Capitol." His eyes remained darkened as he walked closer to them.

Clove wasn't going down so easily and moved herself in front of Katniss to protect her. Peeta's eyes flickered with anger as his eyes fell on Clove. "I'm going to kill you especially slow," was all he said to her.

"I'd like to see you try," Clove said with more bravado than she was feeling. She was unarmed and greatly injured - her chances of besting Peeta were slim to none. Clove felt Katniss grip Clove's shoulders, not in fear, but to gain her attention. Katniss still had one more arrow left, and she knew it was up to her to end Peeta's life.

She stepped back in front of Clove with her bow readied and aimed at Peeta's heart. Peeta stopped in his tracks and Katniss thought she saw a hint of sadness pass momentarily in his eyes. Her hands shook slightly as tears blurred her vision as she steadied herself. She held onto the bow tightly and remained aiming at Peeta's heart. The boy in front of her was no longer Peeta, but a deranged sociopath and it saddened Katniss that she couldn't see the kind and caring boy she grew to care for just one last time. Without warning, Peeta charged at Katniss with his blade ready to strike, but Katniss was too quick and released the arrow.

The arrow struck him right on target, causing him to fall in an instant. Katniss could see him take one last breath and exhale it slowly as the life seeped out of him. A single tear fell from his eye and landed on the ground beneath him. Katniss knelt down to close his eyes and tried her hardest not to break down and cry.

Clove walked over to place a comforting hand on Katniss' quavering shoulder. Just as soon as Peeta passed away, a loud voice boomed throughout the arena. It was Caesar's. "Congratulations to the winners Clove, from District 2 and Katniss Everdeen, our fan favorite, the girl on fire from District 12!"

Katniss and Clove raised their heads towards the sky in disbelief at what they were hearing.

"You two girls have gained the favor of audiences across our nation and have earned the right to go back home to your families! Once again, congratulations to the _true_ star-crossed lovers of the 74th Hunger Games!" his voice boomed and echoed as he congratulated them both with gusto and his voice disappeared as quickly as it came.

Katniss and Clove stared at each other in shock at the surprising news and embraced each other in sheer relief. Their love for each other poured forth from their hearts as the tragedies they've had to endure for the past three days lifted from their shoulders. Clove held onto Katniss tightly and couldn't believe the girl in her arms was alive and with her through it all. She looked into Katniss' shining eyes and held her face in between her hands. "We did it, fire girl," Clove said lovingly as she kissed her lips softly. Their kiss was both filled with joy and sadness as the memories of their fellow tributes and the love they found in each other remained etched in their hearts in a bittersweet victory.


End file.
